Our President Julie Kjestrup (Head of Policy and Thought Leadership for VELUX) is the last invitee of the Energ’Ethic podcast hosted by Marine Cornelis.

Several topics arise during their conversation.

Starting by giving a look at the professional background of our President and how she has reached the point of being one of the key voices in the energy efficiency field in Brussels, the pair also emphasise how energy efficiency has undoubtedly increased its political relevance in the past years. But, the question on how to appropriately apply the concept for the benefit of all remains.

Here, the discussion takes a turn into more specific topics, from the need of upskilling (either via training programs or information campaigns to energy poverty and the multiple benefits ingrained in energy efficiency (climate-related, societal and economic). While also paying attention to concrete legislative measures such as the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, and its importance for all actors as a provider of certainty and guidance, as well as the newly-announce Net-Zero Industry Act, and how such file should put more attention into already-available technologies such as the ones provided by the energy efficiency industry.

The exchange also takes time into looking on the work from EuroACE and the Renovate Europe Campaign, as Julie Kjestrup both acts as President of the former and Vice-Chair of the latter. This section brings attention to the great influence that EuroACE has on energy efficiency-related policymaking at EU level and the important role that the Renovate Europe Campaign especially plays on a national level.

All this conversation, organically develops into the last topic of debate which is the need to better communicate the benefits and potential of energy-efficient driven measures to the whole political spectrum and the entire population to truly drive change moving forward.

You can listen to the full episode here.

 

Our Senior EU Affairs Officer Rémi Collombet was interviewed for the programme “Espace Europe” of RCF Radio ahead of the vote in Plenary on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive proposal from the ITRE Committee.

The interview digs deep into the current legislative process as well as the impact that the ongoing war in Ukraine has had in it and energy efficiency measures as a whole.

Mr. Collombet gives examples of countries that are already undertaking good work for energy efficiency in buildings, at the same time that he provides his point of view on the potential harmonisation of Energy Performance Certificates across Member States and topics such as the increased interest in Indoor Environmental Quality after the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

You can listen to the entire interview (in French) here.

In the context of the February 2023 Topic of the Month “Energy efficiency renovation of historic buildings”, BUILD UP interview our President Julie Kjestrup (VELUX) for their section “Building Conversations Up”.

The interview touches upon different elements such as: the steps needed to increase the European renovation rate; the EED recast and EPBD revision; and how are heritage and historic buildings reflected in the Fit for 55 package, which ones are the main barriers for their renovation and what funding opportunities are available to boost them.

Read the full interview here.

Our Secretary General Adrian Joyce provides his point of view on a Euronews’ article focussing on the effectiveness of heat capturing technology.

For a successful application of such technologies, Mr. Joyce highlights the importance of the distance factor, “when the proximity, geographical proximity is short and I think in district heating terms that’s a couple of kilometres, then the technologies are not, to my understanding, overly expensive and can be quite readily put into place.”

When asked about the possibility of mandatory heat capturing he added, “Mandatory capture of excess heat is not something I’ve considered…but my policy person’s hat says, yes, it’s a good idea to have regulations in place, so that when there is recoverable heat, it is readily recoverable and there are not any obstacles, regulatory or bureaucratic obstacles to that and it would be recovered for beneficial use elsewhere”

You can read the entire article here.

Our newly appointed President Julie Kjestrup (EU Affairs Lead at VELUX) has been interviewed by the Danish newspaper Børsen.

The interview looks at which are the main upcoming challenges of EuroACE and which ones are her priorities in the two years that her mandate will last, and which will include an important landmark such as the European elections of 2024.

“It is important that the framework is as precise as possible. Businesses and the general public need to know what they want to achieve, how and when it will be in place. If we don’t have the framework in place, we won’t achieve the goals”, she says.

Read the full interview here.